To be clear, Tuesday night was about Oral Roberts.
The Golden Eagles’ romp at the Summit League Tournament championship was bookended by a fast start and Francis Lacis turning himself into a wall to clinch ORU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years. It was a special night, and there’s plenty of well-deserved press to come on the Golden Eagles.
But in between was a furious North Dakota State comeback that will vanish into the March mist. That’s inherently unfair, but part of what makes this month so fun.
That the second half of the Summit League title was garnering any of the general college basketball universe’s attention alongside BYU pestering Gonzaga was a minor miracle. As they did in the semifinals against South Dakota, the Bison entered the locker room at halftime behind on the scoreboard. But unlike against the Coyotes, it looked like the game had already been settled.